Cabinet with device for locking an instrument base



Jan. 18, 1949. E. MIHALEK' ETAL 2,459,571-

CABINET WITH DEVICE FOR LOCKING AN INSTRUMENT BASE Filed Aug. 23, 1945Patented Jan. 18, 1949 CABINET WITH DEVICE FOR LOOKING AN INSTRUMENTBASE Emery Mihalek and Charles Szyper, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to 0. D. Jennings & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Application August 23, 1945, Serial No. 612,242

v 8 Claims.

This invention relates to cabinets and more particularly to cabinetshaving latching means detachably to hold an operating mechanism in placein the cabinet.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide fa cabinet havinlatching means in which the cabinet cannot be closed except-when thelatching means is in latching position.

Another object is to provide a cabinet having latching means with anoperating lever so positioned that in the latch releasing positionthereof a portion of the operating lever extends into the space normallyoccupied by the cabinet closure.

Still another object is to provide a cabinet in which the closureengages the latching means and holds it in latching position.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description when read in connectionwith the ac...)mpanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a sectional viewthrough a cabinet embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial section illustrating the latching meansin latching position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the latch in releasedposition; and

Figure 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 1, the cabinet comprises a bottom wall Ill, a topwall H, a fixed end wall [2, and side walls l3 forming a completecabinet structure with an opening in one end thereof. The cabinet maycontain any desired type of operating unit including a base l6 of a sizeto fit into the cabinet and carrying any desired type of mechanism,illustrated as a compressor l4 driven by a motor 15. At the fixed end I2of the cabinet the base I6 is adapted to fit beneath brackets IT to holdthe base in place in the cabinet.

The entire operating mechanism may be inserted through the open end ofthe cabinet which is then adapted to be closed by a closure plate l8having a narrow bottom edge portion to fit into a slot I9 in the cabinetbottom plate Ill. Any desired type of latching or locking mechanism,indicated generally at 2|, may secure the upper part of the closure l8to the cabinet top wall.

In order to hold the base l6 securely in place in the cabinet, a latchis provided to engage the base adjacent the open end of the cabinet. Thelatch, as shown, comprises a supporting plate 22 connected to thecabinet side wall and slidably supporting a latching bar 23 for verticalsliding movement. The lower end of the latching bar is cut out, as shownat 24, to engage the base 16 so that when the latching bar is depressedthe operating mechanism is securely held within the cabinet. Thelatching bar 23 is normally urged upward to a released position by aspring 25, so that the operating mechanism can be removed from thecabinet.

The latch is controlled by an operating: lever 26 pivoted to thesupporting plate at 21 and having a cam shaped lower end to engage theupper end of the latching bar and move it downwardly toward its engagingposition. When the operating lever is turned counter-clockwise to theposition shown in Figure 3, it permits the spring to raise the latchingbar above the base l6 so that the operating mechanism can he slid out ofthe cabinet.

The latching bar is formed with an angular end portion 28 of such alength that when the latch is in its engaged position, as shown inFigure 2, the end of the angular portion will lie against the innersurface of the closure I8. Thus, when the latch is engaged and theclosure is inserted, full engagement of the latch is insured so thatwhen the closure is in place the operating mechanism will be securelyheld within the cabinet. When the closure is removed and the operatinglever turned to latch releasing position, as seen in Figure 3, the endportion 28 of the operating lever projects into the opening in the endof the cabinet into the space normally occupied by the closure.Therefore, when the latch is in its released position, the closurecannot be inserted in the opening in the cabinet. This insures that thecabinet cannot be closed except when the operating mechanism is properlysecured therein.

Movement of the operating lever to its latched and released positions islimited by a stop finger 3| carried by an extension of the bracket 22.The

finger is so placed as to engage the lever in both extreme positions ofits movement, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, to prevent excessive turning.

To insure release of the latch when the: operating lever is turned tothe release position, a lifter actuated by the operating lever isprovided. As shown, the lifter comprises an arm 32 carried by the latchbar 23 and having thereon a finger or lug 33 to engage the lever 26.When the lever is turned to its release position the end thereof willengage the finger 33 and positively raise the latch bar. Thus properrelease of the latch even in the event of sticking or failure of thespring 25 is insured.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and is notintended to be a definition of the scope of the invention. referencebeing had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a combination with a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and havingan opening therein, a removable cover fitting in the opening to closeit, a latch mechanism in the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it inthe cabinet, and including an operating member movable to latch engagingand latch releasing positions, the operating member lying adjacent theopening in the cabinet and extending into the space normally occupied bythe cover when in latch releasing position whereby the cover cannot beplaced in the opening when the latch is released.

2. In a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and having an openin therein,a removable cover fitting in the opening to close it, a latch mechanismin the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it in the cabinet, andincluding an elongated operating member pivoted in the cabinet adjacentthe opening to move to latch engaging and latch releasing positions, anend portion of the oper-- atlng member in the latch releasing positionextending into the space normally occupied by the- 4. In a cabinet,walls forming a cabinet struc:

ture adapted to contain a unit and having an opening therein, a closureto fit into the opening,

a latch in the cabinet adjacent the opening to engage the unit and holdit in the cabinet, and a pivoted operating member for the latch having acurved end portion to fit against the inside of the closure when theoperating member is in latch engaging position and to project into thespace normally occupied by the closure when the operating member is inlatch releasing position.

5. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive aunit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting the opening toclose it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet adjacent the opening toengage the unit and hold it in the cabinet, a spring connected to thelatch bar to urge it to a position to release the unit,

and an operating lever pivoted adjacent the latch bar to urge itintoengagement 'with the unit, the operating lever having an end portionmovable into the space normally occupied by the closure when the leveris in a position to release the latch bar.

6. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive aunit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting into the openingto close it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet to engage the unit andhold it in the cabinet. an operating lever pivoted in the cabinet andengageable with the latch bar to urge it into latching engagement withthe unit when the lever is turned to one position, and a lifter carriedby the latch bar and engageable with the lever to move the latch bar outof engagement with unit when the lever is turned to another position.

7. In a cabinet, walls forming a cabinet structure adapted to receive aunit and having an opening therein, a closure fitting into the openingto close it, a latch bar slidable in the cabinet to engage the unit andhold it in the cabinet,

- an operating lever pivoted in the cabinet and en- ,g'ageable with thelatch bar to urge it into latching engagement with the unit when thelever is turned to one position, and a lifter carried by the latch barand engageable with the lever to move the latch bar out of engagementwith the unit when the lever is turned to another position, an endportion of the lever projecting into the space occupied by the closurein said other position to prevent'closing of the opening.

8. In a cabinet adapted to contain a unit and having an opening therein,a. removable cover fitting in the opening to close it, a latch membermovably mounted in the cabinet to engage the unit to hold it in thecabinet, a spring urging the latch member to a position to release theunit, and a movable operating member to move the latch member to aposition to engage the unit, a portion of the operatin member projectinginto'the opening when the operating member is in a position to permitthe spring to move the latch member to its release position to preventthe cover from closing the opening.

EMERY MIHALEK. CHARLES SZYPER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name I Date Siegel May 28, 1940Number

